Introducing chicks to chicks?

[Chicken-lady-learning]

When can you introduce your new chicks to your 7 week old chicks?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

When the younger ones are old enough to handle the rough stuff. Probably when the youngsters are closer to 6-8 weeks. I would in the mean time fence them next to each other so they become more familiar. Introducing chicks to chicks is fairly challenging. I personally will never do it again. It can take a while.

 

[K3nzi3]

It depends on some factors. How old are the new chicks? What is the size difference between the two? What is the breed of the chicks in question?

 

[bruceha2000]

Hmmm, I would guess that introducing 7 week old chicks to younger ones would be far easier than introducing them to adult birds. Maybe a nice divider between them for a few days so they get used to the sight and sounds of them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hmmm, I would guess that introducing 7 week old chicks to younger ones would be far easier than introducing them to adult birds. Maybe a nice divider between them for a few days so they get used to the sight and sounds of them.

I tried getting some that were a week apart together last year and they got pecked a lot. Adults know to expect chicks to show up in a flock. Chicks to chicks is like mixing grades in school.

 

[bruceha2000]

Really, only a week apart. Stupid birds, don't they know they need to band together against the adults??

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Really, only a week apart. Stupid birds, don't they know they need to band together against the adults??

Chickens don't have that reasoning capacity. It's survival of the fittest.

 

[bruceha2000]

Well that is true. Mine, ALL MINE!!!!!

 

[Chicken-lady-learning]

It depends on some factors. How old are the new chicks? What is the size difference between the two? What is the breed of the chicks in question?

Wyandottes and 2 ducklings with day old wyandottes chicks. Im getting an order in feb. and another in april they will be about 7 weeks apart.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I introduced two sets about a month apart starting by moving the younger set into a brooder in the coop at two weeks. The older set was six weeks and there were no adults present at the time. The full integration took a couple weeks before I was comfortable simply removing the brooder. It was a series of steps: chicks fully enclosed in the brooder, supervised time out, unsupervised time out but still put up at night, brooder gone but panic room present, then finally integration. The younger chicks did get chased and pecked and still do at eight weeks, but nothing harmful.